Getty Romeo Doubs leads the Packers in receptions (14) and receiving yards (137) through three games of the 2022 season.
The Green Bay Packers have no intentions of pulling back on the reins with rookie wide receiver Romeo Doubs after his breakout performance in Week 3.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was effusive in his praise for Doubs on Monday after the fourth-round rookie recorded eight receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown in their 14-12 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers one day earlier on September 25. Not only did Doubs step up to help compensate for the injury loss of Sammy Watkins, but he took it a step further and became Mr. Reliable for Aaron Rodgers with receptions on all eight of the passes thrown his direction.
“The game is certainly not too big for him,” LaFleur told reporters on September 26. “I think you see it, I feel it every time we go out there, [he’s] a guy that’s just showing more and more confidence, and I think that’s a big part of being able to play to your potential. This is a kid that’s got a ton of potential, and we’re excited about him, but obviously … [he’s] a young player, not even close to his ceiling. He’s just got to keep taking the same approach, which I know he will. He takes it one day at a time, and he tries to be his best each and every day.”
Doubs Leads Packers in Receptions & Receiving Yards
Doubs now leads the Packers in both receptions (14) and receiving yards (137) through the first three games of his career, having secured at least twice as many catches as any other receiver on their active roster with Randall Cobb (seven) the next closest to him. That’s especially rare for the Packers given their reluctance to throw rookie receivers into the fire so quickly, but has it gotten to the point where Doubs has proved he is too talented to not make a focal point of their offense?
“Yeah, he certainly has earned it and he is going to get that opportunity,” LaFleur said. “Certainly with having a guy like Sammy out, it’s just naturally going to happen for him where he’s going to play more snaps. I thought he made the most of them [on Sunday against the Buccaneers]. I thought he did an outstanding job. He was a guy that showed up consistently being able to separate versus the man coverage that we were getting. I thought he did an outstanding job. He’s got the body-movement skills, he’s got the explosiveness, he plays on his in-steps, gets both feet in the ground, and that allows him to get off bump coverage.”
According to Next Gen Stats, Doubs averaged 3.56 yards of separation against the Buccaneers, which outpaced the league average separation of 2.91 yards on Sunday. He is also dominating in comparison to wide receivers around the league, posting a higher catch percentage (87.5%) and more yards after catch (87) than the rest of the field. He also has the fourth-most receptions and receiving yards among rookies, trailing behind a trio of first-round selections — Garrett Wilson (18 for 214), Chris Olave (17 for 268) and Drake London (16 for 214).
League average separation today was 2.91 yards, according to @NextGenStats.
#Packers WR Romeo Doubs averaged 3.56 yards of separation against Tampa. Just huge for Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay’s offense, and why he was my Week 3 breakout star. #NFL
Packers Confident Doubs is ‘Not Just an Outside Receiver’
Doubs has an enormous opportunity in front of him in the coming weeks, especially over the next three games with Watkins stuck on injured reserve until at least Week 7. He will be the No. 2 starter on the outside with Lazard until further notice with Cobb playing out of the slot and could play his way into keeping the job permanently even once Watkins returns. That said, the Packers aren’t looking to constrain him and his talent to one spot specifically.
“I think these next few weeks are going to be critical to his growth, just having the majority of the snaps, playing our X,” LaFleur said. “Not that we can’t move him around. That’s what’s the beauty with him as well. He’s not just an outside receiver. You can put him in the slot, he’s got that versatility. You can put him Z, X, F — it doesn’t really matter because he knows our concepts and he cares about the game. He gives great effort each and every day.”